"This is the second such request in recent months. We will communicate a decision once it's made," Von Pinnon said.

Johnson snapped a photo of the email and posted it online. She also wrote an open letter criticizing the policy and sent a copy to the mayor's office and to the newspaper's opinion editor.

The situation led to an online petition calling for the newspaper to allow same-sex announcements. The petition had more than 800 signatures by 11 p.m. Monday.

Johnson said the wedding is being held in New York because the state recognizes same-sex marriage. The reception will be held in Fargo, she said.

Marriage in North Dakota is explicitly defined as "between one man and one woman," according to the state's Century Code.

The newspaper's parent company, Forum Communications Co., also owns the Grand Forks Herald, The Jamestown Sun and The Dickinson Press. It also owns newspapers in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin as well as television stations and commercial printing operations.